Do you over-promise to your clients and vendors to make them happy, but really in the back of your head don’t know how you will make it happen?

Although it might be exhilarating and easy to work that way – there is a lot at stake for approaching any situation like this. On one hand you might win, have a successful event, and gain more opportunities. On the other hand, you lose, your event falls apart, and your business relationship is now in jeopardy. Where is the balance? The balance comes when you make sure that you position yourself in the direction of true success. You don’t want to over-promise, especially when it comes to gambling with your job or your business. However, you want to make sure that you are taking a carefully measured risk, when you play your hand. When you play your hand, make sure that you are fully aware of what you are committing to, and what your current resources are to fulfill that commitment.

In any situation, there is a chance that things can go good or bad. So, what if your situation goes well? Then you played your hand well. However, if your situation gets worse, don’t spend all of your time pouting and feeling guilty. If you lose, lose with integrity. Approach your client to explain and gain more perspective on the situation. Restate the expectations, admit your error, and explain the gap that resulted in your error. This helps clear the air, and brings closure to everyone. Showing integrity is a very useful and valuable characteristic. And failing, although it doesn’t feel good at the time, can be your best reward. Many events have learned valuable lessons that stemmed from an unsuccessful attempt. Make sure that you learn your lesson and use it the next time you are dealt in a game.

Fred Kofman articulates the characteristics of integrity well with in this blog post. Check it out.

So, have you ever made a promise that you couldn’t keep? How did you bounce back? Have you ever won your hand? Would love to hear your stories!

photo credit: pfala via photopin cc